Reel in Some Family Fun with New Jersey Free Fishing Days 2025

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Grab your poles and get ready for plenty of family fun on New Jersey’s Free Fishing Days in 2025.

This post has been updated with New Jersey’s 2025 Free Fishing dates. 

Whether you’re a seasoned angler or someone who wants to take the kids to the lake for a little fishing, New Jersey free fishing days are a great way to get out there and get your feet wet. This year New Jersey has not one but two FREE fishing days. One in late Spring and another in the Fall.  On these special days fishing is allowed on New Jersey’s public waters without a license or trout stamp. This is a great way to enjoy some good old fashioned family fun and teach the kids how to fish!  Keep reading to find out when NJ’s free fishing days are in 2025. 

WHEN ARE NEW JERSEY’S FREE FISHING DAYS

Mark your calendar now to take advantage of the New Jersey Free Fishing Days. The Spring date is Saturday, June 7th and coincides with National Fishing and Boating Week. The second date, Saturday, October 18th, allows you to take advantage of the fall trout stocking.

All other fishing regulations, including size and daily catch limits, remain in effect. Fishing on any other day require a fishing license for anyone over 16 year old.

My kids love to fish and we’ve been taking them as soon as they could walk but we’re always encouraging our friends and family who want to give fishing a try, to join us on one of the free fishing days. Usually it’s not long before they’re hooked on fishing too.

Fishing is a great hobby for the entire family. It’s a great way to just get outside and unplug. You’ll learn about nature, all different species of fish and most of all create family memories that they whole family will cherish.

New Jersey has some other fun programs throughout the year as well. Check out these programs and events for fishing fun all year long:

HOOK-A-WINNER PROGRAM

New Jersey fishing fans can also try their luck in the NJDEP Division of Fish and Wildlife’s “Hook-A-Winner” program. More than 1,000 trout have been jaw tagged and are distributed as part of the spring trout stocking program. These fish are stocked throughout the state and are available beginning opening day.

If you’re one of the lucky anglers who lands one of these fish, you’ll be mailed a certificate and an award patch. Learn how to collect your certificate and more about the “Hook-A-Winner” program here.

FISHING DERBY FUN

For more FREE fishing fun, a Fishing Derbies is a great way for kids to get excited about fishing. With everything going on with this virus, I’m not sure many fishing derbies are being held this year but I will definitely update this list as it plays out.

Fishing Derbies are a fun way for kids to try their hand at fishing and best of all these events are free to the public. Know of a fishing derby in your town, send me a message and I’ll add it to the list.

The Hooked on Fishing-Not on Drugs Program‘s Youth Fishing Challenge is a free statewide event to promote fishing among youths and their families. It looks like this event will be held in October, on the second free fishing date in the State.

 In 2022 it will be held on June 5, 2022.

Registered youth participants may be eligible to receive prizes for the fish they catch during the event. Youth must be present at the end of the event to be awarded prizes.

Have you been fishing with your kids before?

Dawn